E3 Wiki Guide

Sony at E3 2008

Sony kicked things off with a montage of games, including MGS4, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, RE5, Resistance 2, BioShock. Then Jack Tretton took the stage. "I can't tell you how much fun this has been to put together, including the fun twelve-hour rehearsal. It takes two years off my life, but I'm glad if you're happy and informed." He jokes about Jack Palance's push-up routine in 1992 at the Oscars, and how he's not going there. Alongside Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks, you'll hear about Solid Snake, Nathan Hale, and Sackboy. "As many of you have written, 2008 is the Year of the PS3. But we're scratching the surface of what will come in the future."

Tretton cites that this is the fifteenth anniversary of Sony's decision to create a game console. "In a time in which a three-to-five year cycle was the norm, we planned a decade-long cycle." He cites blockbusters of the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 era and each console's lifespan. Why? To demonstrate how the PS3 is still young and has a bright future.

He touts Folding@Home and entertainment functionality for gamers and their families. He cites Henry Ford, "If I went with what my customers asked, they'd ask for a faster horse."

After the intro, the conference kicked off with Resistance 2. Insomniac's Ted Price takes the stage to talk about the game. It's all about scale. From monsters to environment to warships, R2 is all about scale and size. Big battles, the whole shebang. R2 offers more than you'll see in any shooter, says Price. A new trailer debuts with a ravaged Twin Falls, Idaho. Juxtaposition of invasion with massive fights.

Tretton returns to the stage to talk LittleBigPlanet. "When historians look back on history, they'll look back at technology and focus on user-generated content." It's the first time there's been a convergence of casual and hardcore on such a scale, according to Tretton. Alex Evans of Media Molecule talks about the year in review, with the presentation done using the LBP engine. Sales charts dolled up as an LBP level, with a beach house set to Tretton's quip "we're the equivalent of beachfront property." Levers and pulleys yank up PS3s, PS2s, and PSPs with sales numbers. Clever stuff. PS3's officially moving into Latin America.

Sony also talked about PS2, showing a sizzle trailer with new PS2 titles, including more SingStar Pop, Yakuza 2, Warriors Orochi 2, Madden, Mercenaries 2. Tretton cites the PS2 as the platform for social gaming, with SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz!.

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Although Sony announced new bundles, such as a LEGO Batman PS2 pack for $150, it disappoints the audience in attendance by not announcing a price drop for the platform.

Instead, Sony switches to PSN as the focus, announcing a consistent PSN ID across platforms and that 180 million PSN pieces of content downloaded since the November 2006 launch.

Sony also delivered news of Polyphony Digital launching Gran Turismo TV for GT5 Prologue, with HD programming from racing events worldwide, all through GT5 Prologue, presented by Polyphony and associates.

Tretton also touted Home's beta and the support from Ubisoft, EA, and Acvitision, as well as video download services with Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Fox, Warner, Disney, Turner, Paramount, and Funimation all announced as partners.

Eric Lempel, Director of Operations for PSN showcased the video tab and the ability to own or rent movies, before Tretton announced that the video service would launch this very day.

Jim Lee, executive creative director of DC Universe took the stage next... for Jack Palance push-ups. He's pumped to show us the game, which they've worked closely with DC to launch. Lee discusses his passion for comics and MMOs. Lee seems pretty eager to demonstrate his cred in both realms, which is understandable, lest he be eviscerated by EverQuest fanboys.